I just did the install of the Superchip Microtuner. I have already done several other mods (see signiture). The difference wasn't as obvious I thought it would be. I guess I thought it would give me the same amount improved performance as all my other mods put together. Does the computer adjust to my drive'n style the more I drive it and will the improved power be more noticeable then? Most of the improvement I feel is at the bottom end and the 1 - 2 shift. I am not feeling much improvement at highway speeds (75MPH) when passing. It feels like it is still holding back at these speeds. I am probably expecting alot more than what a computer modification can give me. I would like to here your comments.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was worth while investment.

Thanks,
Anthony

 

Did you disconnect the battery and reset the Computer after the install?

 

I had a Microtuner in my '97 4.6l over the winter months (is now in the Lightning after getting it out of storage).

My experience was that it didn't seem to make all that much difference, either, except for more mid-range power and it stopped it from hunting so much in and out of 4th gear on small hills. The biggest difference was in the shifting and overall driveability. The stock trucks shift like jello, and the 'Tuner helped a LOT.

Removing the 'Tuner program for the Lightning was much more revealing...not having the program in there definitely was noticeable: not nearly the "nuts" it had "with" it.

So, it's not gonna be like hitting the NOS switch, but overall driving experience was much improved.

The 'Tuner in the Lightning????? WHOA!!!!! BABY!!!!!!!!

 

rbraughn

Actually I disconnected the battery for about 15 minutes before I did the install of the micro tuner. I had to replace 1 of my coil packs. I took it for a spin after installing the coil pack. Should I do it again?

jaymz

Sounds like we are having a similiar results. I figured it was me expecting more than the tuner was going to give me. I really like the improvements in the transmission shifting. Have you messed with the shift settings? I think I would like it to shift firmer.

Thanks for the replies,

Anthony

 

JOHNSON505, I'm pretty sure you need to turn your headlights on to drain the residual charge after you disconnect the battery. Just leaving it disconnected doesn't do the trick. Mike Troyer might answer you on this with real expertise. I installed mine a couple years ago (custom burned flip chip) and it made a huge difference. Hope this helps.

 

Hi Anthony,

This is another excellent example of what happens when you (or me, or anyone else) try to judge performance mods "by the seat of your pants" in these 2-3 ton trucks. It doesn't work, as you've just discovered, my friend.

You're just expecting too much is the simple answer, but far more important is the actual root problem here, which is using inappropriate "technique" for trying to judge your performance improvement. You can't do that via seat of the pants in these trucks as many people incorrectly try to do. Now with proper technique, you *can* see what that improved powertrain program is doing for you.

The best way you can properly evaluate the raw performance improvement is to do controlled before & after timed acceleration testing, and anyone that does that to compare their performance before & after the Superchips tuning will *immediately* see a significant drop in their 0-60 & 1/4 mile times, just as many owners have reported right here on these message boards. This will show not only in 0-60 & 1/4 mile, but also in areas like 30-50, or 50-70, etc., the acceleration improvements are *everywhere*.

I think it would do some good to use the search feature here to see the kinds of times people post here before & after installing the Superchips tuning, as you'll quickly see that everyone doing that testing reports significant drops in their acceleration times. The average is a half-second, with some of these trucks dropping as much as slightly over a full second off their 1/4 mile times.

These are 2.5-3 ton trucks, so for some people it takes a *supercharger* to make what they feel is a "significant" seat of the pants difference. You wouldn't beleive how much variance there is in perceptions, you'll see a lot of people making "WOW!" posts after installing the Micro TUner, and then some like you, who don't feel "WOW!" Though you have reduced the 0-60 & 1/4 mile times with the Superchips tuning, that's really not going to show up in the seat of the pants very well for some people in a 2-3 ton vehicle, especially something with a profile like a truck or SUV.

You mention not feeling as much at 75 mph, yet the amount of power gained there in reality is the same as just about anywhere else percentage-wise, it's the nature of this tuning and in these engines, that the power gain is not going to vary widely based on rpm in terms of a percentage. Some, yes, but not a lot. Think about how much air that huge truck is having to push out of the way at 75 mph, it has the aerodynamics of a small house, and the faster you go, the less power you're going to feel, stock or modified. This is also why you'll generally get your fastest top speed in 3rd gear in the automatics, and in 4th gear in the manuals (unless a blower or 4.10's & other mods are installed).

I've taken trucks out after installing a modification and felt nothing seat of the pants, yet dropped 3-5 tenths off the 0-60 times. And that's with all of my experience modifying vehicles, which goes back 30 years. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

It takes a significant power gain to do what it's already doing, and when you see things like jaymz mentioned in his post about it not hunting in and out of 4th gear anymore, that is pure raw *power* that is doing that, and to effect that in a 2-3 ton truck takes *power*, and right where any engine doesn't want to make power, at low rpms & on part-throttle.

Now it is true that it will take a few hundred miles, usually 350-500 miles, before you get the full 100% effects, simply due to obvious things like there being some 87 octane still left in the tank when you fill up with premium to use the Superchip (when the low fuel light comes on there is still at least 3.5 gallons left), and the PCM will need to adapt to it's new programming as you accumulate miles and drive cycles. However, I don't think that's the basic "problem" here, the real issue is basic technique, trying to judge performance by the seat of the pants.

Just as an aside, your other mods will affect, to a certain extent, just how well the vehicle feels after installing the Superchips tuning. For example, in our Stage 1 kit, the total power gain from installing all 3 parts (the Superchips tuning, the intake & the cat-back exhaust system we use) is more than what you get just putting each of those parts on separately and adding up the gains that way. THis is because the parts we have chosen work together extremely well as a system, so that the sum of the whole is more than it's separate parts, so to speak. Now in your case, you've got the best intake kit there with the Air Force One, so you're in great shape there, it's the exhaust that needs help in terms of getting a better basic throttle response.

We advise picking up a G-Tech Pro Competition model (this is a test instrument, inexpensive and gives you the ability to do timed acceleration testing) for everyone modifying their vehicles, so they will *know* just what kind of performance gain they got. It's not extremely accurate in terms of it's power numbers, but it *is* a fine tool for informally & quickly being able to measure your acceleration times any time you like. The new Competition model (and this is not expensive, it's significantly less than a Micro Tuner & can be used on all your vehicles & last basically forever) is auto-leveling, and has many more features than the previous model G-Tech Pro's.

Yes, it will adapt to your driving style a bit, so if you drive conservatively most of the time that can cost you a little bit of performance. Just take it out & do a few full-throttle blasts to clear that up, and we're not talking about a huge difference anyway, driving conservatively can hurt your raw power by about 2%, but hurt overall performance more than just the raw power gain, as this affects transmission shift characteristics as well, and the delays & retards even in manuals. This is why some people will clear the PCM if they're going to the drag strip, as worst case scenario, you can pick up a couple of tenths of a second that way. This is adaptive strategy at work, it's always going to be there, there's no getting around it in practical terms, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Overall, I'd say to just drive it like you normally do, and make sure to use only the best quality premium gasoline available in your area. Make sure all your maint. is up to date, fresh O2 sensors if the originals have more than 50K miles, as well as spark plugs (making them run more than 50K miles or 3 years really hurts performance), wires, coil packs etc. as you've mentioned doing.

Good luck!

 

I can vouch for the seat of the pants meter being deceiving. After installing my 1715 program, the only real noticeable thing to me was the shift firmness. That in itself was great, but the truck didn't seem to be much faster overall. I changed my mind last week however. A friend of mine just bought himself an F150 because he liked mine so much. Same supercab, same 4.6 motor as mine. About the only difference is the color and that his is a 2002 and a year newer than my 2001 and has 9K less miles. Yesterday we were both leaving a volunteer project we were working on. I had left a few seconds earlier than him so I waited for him at an intersection. (We were out in the country). Two guys in our 40's and of course we're still kids. We both stomped it. I walked all over him. It was no contest. I could pull away from him at will. My only mods are the 1715, K&N, and SI/DO. He has SI/DO only. He wants to try my 1715 out for himself, but I don't know if I can go without it long enough to let him have a go at it. Definitely a great mod in my opinion.

 

Well it's hard to tell a seat of the pants difference when the tuner is only worth 3.5hp rwhp. I did a dyno test where I work of the 1715 on my old 2001 5.4L Supercrew. Very dissapointing. Did a few pulls to get a baseline, then made a few pulls after installing the program. Only 3.5rwhp and like 5rwtq. There was no pinging or detonation. I also scanned the computer as I was curious as to the difference in the timing. It was there but just didn't help on power like it they claim. Do like the shift firmness though on a NA 5.4L.

Now, I currently own a 2002 HD F150 and I just tested the 1715. Not on the dyno but here at my house. I was mainly worried about the line pressure. I set all the firmness to "MIN" but the shifts still about knocked my head off just at partial throttle. The problem with the line pressure mod on the SC engines is it kills the transmission. Obviously, the "MIN" line pressure is higher than stock and because of this I took it out. I did run it hard in 1 gear and it felt much more peppier, but I'm not blowing my trans.

 

Soopercrew, What kind of Supercharger did you go with and what other mods to the engine? Thanks, Steve

 

I think you may have gotten confused. My current truck is a 2002 Harley Davidson F150. These have the supercharged engines from the factory. Basically same motor as the Lightning just 2 lbs less boost.

 

Got it, Thanks.

 

Thanks for the info Mike and all the replies from everyone else. I have started to notice the changes more the more I drive it.

Mike,
What kind of effect does different brands of 93 octane gas have on my truck with the Micro Tuner? What brand gas do you consider high quality? I have been running 93 octane for the past year to get in the habit of only running 93 octane. I have been buying my gas at BJ's Warehouse Club. I get a discount on gas since I am a member.

Thanks,
Anthony

 

Hi Anthony,

*Excellent* question!

Buying "discount" gas never works for performance or best mileage. Sam's Club, Costco, etc., don't have any special secret to low gas prices, they simply buy the cheapest fuel available on the spot market & that's what you get.

That results in a lower raw energy content (# of BTU's per gallon), so even though the octane number may be there, the energy content is not, & thus you don't get as much performance or as good fuel mileage.

You're in a good position, as you live here in the East where we have excellent 93 octane premium fuels. Stick to brands such as Amoco, Texaco, Citgo, & Shell, for example, they work very well for the most part here in the East. Steer clear of any no-names, off-brands, and *NO* Exxon. Exxon is a very clean fuel, but it's reformulated year-round & has had a significantly lower energy content for the past 4 years or so.

Good luck!

 

Hey Mike,

If you had to choose between Chevron or Shell, which would you choose. (I have both credit cards )

 

Hi rbraughn,

That's a tough choice in some places! The answer depends on location, basically. Anywhere West of about Texas or so, Chevron seems to be doing the best job overall, certainly where premium octanes are only 91. Here in the East, we have more choices in 93 octane premiums, so I prefer Citgo, Amoco, Texaco & Shell.

In Texas, if you have Conoco available, that's worth trying, as is Sunoco, & of course, Texaco. Shell doesn't seem to work as well out West as it does here in the East.

If you really want to see which is the better fuel in *your* area of Texas between Chevron & Shell, burn a few tanks of each, carefully tracking fuel mileage for each tank, and the fuel with the highest mpg under the same basic driving conditions wins.